Improvement in mowing-machines



UNITED STATES. PAH-Emm- NATHAN F. MArHnwsoN, OF BARRINGTON, AssreNon ro :Hnvrsnnr AND VHENRY ARMINGTON, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE rsLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWlNG-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 88,653, dated April G, 1869. i

To all persons to whom these presents may come:

Be it known that I, NATHAN F. MArHnw- SON, of Barrington,4 in the county of Bristol and State of Rhode Isla-nd, have invented a new and useful Improvement in MowingMachines; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the @accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 a bottom view, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, of a mowing-machine containing my invention.

My improvement relates to the .devices for supporting the seat on which the driver sits while the machine is at work. It also has referenoe to the support of the cutter-bar.

In the drawings, the platform is shown at o. as encompassed by, inserted within, and fast cned to the oblon g anged cast-iron rim A of the frame. The said rim, formed with a flange, b, projecting from and going around its inner surface, has connected or cast with it two socketed or tubular projections, C C, for receiving and holding the shanks of the wheel-journals. The platform a, composed of boards, rests on and 'is fastened to the ange b. Furthermore, there extends across the rim a metallic bar, D, which is bolted to opposite sides or parts of the rim, and provided with a socketed and arched projection or staple, c, to receive the rear part of the draft-pole E. There also pro'- jects from the front end of the rim another such projection or staple, e', through which the pole is also extended, and which also servesg to support it. To the cross-bar D a cast-iron arm, F, is fastened, it being bolted at one of its ends to the bar D. This arm extends forward beyond the front end of the rim, and is fastened to the rim by bolts going through iianges g h projecting from the arm and rim. The arm F is arched, as shown at t', to receive the crank-wheel k, by which the connecting-rod lof the cutter-blade is operated. The said crank-wheel is fixed on the end of a shaft, m, which is arranged directly over the arm F. The upper surface ofthe arm F is grooved to receive the shaft. At its rear end connected with the wheels; but as such constitutes no part of my invention further description is unnecessary.

The cross o1l carrier H, to which the heel of the cutter-bar I is jointed or applied, is hinged to the arm F, as shown at q g. A stay or rod, r, may be extended from the arm F to the rim A and be bolted to the two, the same being as represented.

Y The arm F not only eomposes part of my frame for supporting the operative parts, but by its arrangement with the shaft m serves to protect such shaft from becoming clogged or incommoded by grass while the machine may be in operation.

The cutter-bar I, hinged to the cross H, has a chain, o", which is ledl upward to and about a wheel, s, from whose circumference a lever, t, extends, in manner as represented. By depressing the lever the cutter-bar will be raised nearly, if not quite, up to a vertical position. A bracelever, u, jointed to the cross II and the cutterbar at their junction, turns on the hinge-pin o of the cross H with the arm F, and there projects from such arm a stud, o', for the shorter arm of the lever u to bring up against, in order to arrest the upward movement of the cross H at a proper time to enable the chain r to draw the cutter-bar up into an inclined position.

Were it not for the brace-lever u and the stud o it would be difficult, if not impossible, to effect the elevation of the cutter-bar in the manner described, for the cross II would be raised so much before the bar would commence to turn up that it would be difficult to effect its elevation by the chain. The. bracelever therefore performs the function of a brace to the cross and cutter bar against the press ure exerted against it while the machine may be at work, but, with the stud, answers the purpose of stopping the elevation of the cross.

The drivers seat is shown at L as supported by two elliptic springs, M M, disposed at right angles to each other and fixed to the up-v per end of a slider, N, which is arranged so as to slide up and down within a stand or post, o, projecting up from the platform a. There is a toothed rack, y, on the front of the slider N, and there is applied to the post or standard a pedal-lever or catch, It, to engage with such rack, a spring', z, xed to the pedal-lever,

serving to keep it in engagement with the rack.

This lever-catch enables a person, by means of one of his feet, and while sitting on the seat and holding the reins connected with the bits of the harness of the draftanimals, to eii'ect the disengagement of the mechanism by which the' seat and its springs are supported, and thus, by pressing with his foot on the tail of the catch, the driver can release the seat, so as to cause it t0 drop to the desired elevation, to render it comfortable for him in driving, whether the machine may be moving either up or down an inclination or on a level.

I am aware that a rack applied to a seatsupporting rod or slide is not new, such being engaged with a. pinion or'screw to eifect the movement as well as the support of the rack. Such therefore I do not claim. The;r are devices which cannot be actuated by the foot of the driver, and consequently the catchlever enables him to do with his foot what he otherwise could not effect. Therefore the arrangement and the application of the catchlever and its spring, with the stand and the seat-slide and the rack, are not only useful, but important.

I I am also aware that it is not new tol apply springs to a drivers seat of a carriage, and therefore I make no claim to such; but my arran gement of the two elliptic springs and their combination with the seat and its other supporting devices enable the seat to rock or tilt in any direction with great ease-to the sitter when the machine is at work.

What I claim in the above-described machine as my invention is as follows-that is to say:

l. I claim the arrangement of the brace-1ever u and the stud fu with the cross H, the cutter-bar, and the frame of the machine, the same being as and for the purpose or objects set forth.

2. I also claim the arrangement and combination of the pedal-catch R with the seat, stand, and rack, the same being so as to enable a person while occupying the seat to move the pedal-catch by one of his feet.

NATHAN F. MATHEWSON.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, SAMUEL N. PIPER. 

